Short Report

Multiple Sclerosis Journal —

Application of the Betty Neuman systems Experimental, Translational
and Clinical

model in the nursing care of patients/clients July-September, 2017; 1—8

DOI: 10.1177/

with multiple sclerosis 2055217317726798

! The Author(s), 2017.

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Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to assess the application of the Betty Neuman systems model to the care of
patient/clients with multiple sclerosis.
Methods: This clinical study resulted from the application of the nursing process to a patient/client
admitted with multiple sclerosis in the neurological ward of a hospital in an urban area of Iran.
Results: A patient/client was evaluated according to the Neuman model. Intrapersonal stressors (physio-
logical, psychological, socio-cultural, and spiritual), interpersonal stressors (being away from family and
children) and extra-personal stressors (aggression and psychological pressure from the spouse) were
found. Based on the examination, 12 nursing diagnoses based on the taxonomy of the North American
Nursing Diagnosis Association International, and nursing care based on three levels of prevention that
are important in the view of Neuman, are presented. The results were used in the classification of nursing
interventions and the classification and nursing outcomes respectively.
Conclusions: The results suggest the desirability of care and patient/client satisfaction in the evaluation
of nursing care based on the Neuman model. The model can be used as a framework to help nurses care
for patients/clients. Thus, the application of this model and other models is recommended in the nursing
care of patients/clients.

Keywords: Multiple sclerosis, patient/client care, nursing models, Neuman systems model

Date received: 14 April 2017; accepted: 23 July 2017

Correspondence to:
Introduction The goal of early disease management is to intervene Tabandeh Sadeghi
Department of Pediatric
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease before irreversible neuronal destruction happens, to Nursing, School of Nursing
of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized delay the progression of disability, and to improve and Midwifery; Non-
Communicable Diseases
by brain inflammation, demyelination, and axonal the quality of life.5 Currently, there is no known cure Research Center, Rafsanjan
loss, which occurs primarily between the ages of for MS, and the treatment goal of MS is the preven- University of Medical
Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran,
20—40 years.1 MS is the most prevalent inflamma- tion of permanent neurological damage.6 Thus, the Jomhori St, Rafsanjan
tory2 and the second most common cause of neuro- nature of the disease poses an obvious need for inter- 7718796755, Iran.
t.b_sadeghi@yahoo.com
logical disability in working-age adults. Since it disciplinary services. Nurses have to play a key role
Zakieh Ahmadi,
usually strikes in the prime of life, frequently pro- in the interaction with patients/clients and their Department of Medical
gresses to disability, and has no cure, MS can have a families to improve the patient/client’s health.7 The Surgical Nursing, School of
Nursing and Midwifery.
strong emotional impact not only on those who purpose of nursing care is to improve the quality of Hormozgan University of
suffer from it, but also on the healthcare team.3 life of patients/clients.8 An effective way to promote Medical Sciences, Bandar
Abbas, Iran
The range of symptoms that occur in MS can have nursing care is by applying nursing theories.9
Tabandeh Sadeghi,
disabling functional consequences for patients and Department of Pediatric
lead to significant reductions in their quality of life The clinical use of nursing models and theories helps Nursing, School of Nursing
and Midwifery; Non-
and the ability of individuals to carry out their roles develop nursing knowledge.10 It is an important step Communicable Diseases
and job tasks.4 to achieve the goals that guide the practical Research Center, Rafsanjan

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the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Multiple Sclerosis Journal—Experimental, Translational and Clinical
University of Medical
Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
application of clinical and educational research.11
Department of Pediatric A wide variety of situations and phenomena make
Nursing, Rafsanjan
University of Medical
a certain degree of flexibility necessary in the selec-
Sciences, Iran tion of the models and nursing theories according to
the circumstances.12 The Betty Neuman systems
model is one theory that provides guidance at three
levels of prevention.13
Neuman systems model
The Neuman systems model is based on a general
system theory and reflects the nature of living organ-
isms as open systems in interaction with each other
and with the environment. Within the Neuman model,
the client may be an individual, a family, a group, a
community, or a social entity. An important assump-
tion of the Newman theory is: ‘‘each client system is
unique, a composite of factors and characteristics
within a given range of responses.’’13 [p. 285]
The human being is a total person, characterized by
five variables: these include physiological, psycho-
logical, socio-cultural, spiritual, and developmental
variables.14 The physiological variable refers to body
structure and function. The psychological variable
refers to mental processes in interaction with the
environment. The socio-cultural variable refers to
the effects and influences of social and cultural con-
ditions. The spiritual variable refers to spiritual
beliefs and influences. The developmental variable
refers to age-related processes and activities.13
An individual organism is said to have a central
‘‘core’’ of basic survival mechanisms, such as tem-
perature control, ego, and organ function.12 The core
is protected by lines of defence. The outer layer is the
flexible line of defence, and is variable, responding to
the particular stressor. The inner or ‘‘normal’’ line of
defence represents the state of wellness and adapta-
tion of the individual. It is generally stable. The lines
of resistance represent the internal factors that deter-
mine an organism’s response to a stressor. Stressors
(intrapersonal, interpersonal, and extra-personal) are
significant to the concept of environment and are
described as environmental forces that interact with,
and potentially alter, system stability.15 Intrapersonal
factors include interactions contained within the
client, such as conditioned responses. Interpersonal
factors arise from interaction between two or more
individuals, such as role expectation. Extra-personal
factors comprise all interactions occurring outside the
client, such as financial circumstances.16
Neuman defines the environment as all the internal
and external forces surrounding the client, influen-
cing and being influenced by the client at any point
2 www.sagepub.com/msjetc
in time. She identifies three relevant environments:
internal, external, and created.12 The internal influ-
ences are contained within the boundaries of the cli-
ent’s system in other words, they are intrapersonal in
nature. The external influences exist outside the
client; and the created environment is unconsciously
developed and is used by the client to support pro-
tective coping.17 She views health as a continuum of
wellness to illness that is dynamic in nature and is
constantly changing. Optimal wellness exists when
the total system needs are completely met and illness
exists at the opposite end of the continuum from
wellness and represents a state of instability and
energy depletion.12
Neuman believes that nursing is concerned with
the whole person. She views nursing as a unique
profession and believes that it is concerned with all
the variables affecting an individual’s response to
stress. The primary aim of nursing is the stability
of the client system. This is achieved through nursing
intervention to reduce the stressors. Neuman’s pro-
cess contains three basic parts: nursing diagnosis,
nursing goals, and nursing outcomes. Neuman stres-
ses the importance of identifying the client’s and the
caregiver’s perceptions and collaboration between
the client and the caregiver in all stages of the
process. She identifies three levels of intervention:
primary, secondary, and tertiary (Table 1). Primary
prevention takes place even before the client system
can respond to a stressor that the purpose is to
reduce the possibility of encounter with the stressor.
Secondary prevention takes place after the client
system responds to a stressor. Tertiary prevention
occurs after the active treatment or secondary pre-
vention stage that it focuses on readjustment toward
optimal client system stability.13 This paper demon-
strates the application of the Betty Neuman systems
model to the care of patients/clients with MS.
Method
This clinical study resulted from the application of
the nursing process mediated by the nursing theory
of Betty Neuman to the care of patients/clients with
MS in a neurological ward of a hospital in an urban
area of Iran. One patient was studied in this study.
In the first stage of the nursing process, an interview
was drawn up with the purpose of guiding the research
and determining the stressors. This clinical study was
about single patient.
After the assessment and data collection, 12 nursing
diagnoses were established according to the tax-
onomy of the North American Nursing Diagnosis
 Ahmadi and Sadeghi

Table 1. Summary of Betty Neuman’s nursing process steps.

A. Nursing diagnosis
1. Database and assessment
— Identification, classification, and evaluation of interactions among five client variables
— Identification of stressors and resources in the intra-, inter-, and extra-personal areas
— Identification and differentiation of client and caregiver perceptions
— Attempt to resolve perceptual differences
2. Actual or potential variances from wellness
(These are what most other theorists call ‘nursing diagnoses’)
B. Nursing goals
1. Expected outcomes, specific desirable behavioral responses to deal with the actual or potential
variances from wellness (decided jointly by the client and the caregiver)
2. Planned interventions, specific actions of the client, the caregiver or others to effect the expected
outcomes
C. Nursing outcomes
1. Actual interventions
2. Evaluation and goal reformulation
— Analysis of specific client responses
— Determination of the attainment of expected outcomes
— If incomplete attainment, determination of cause of non-attainment
— Goal reformulation as needed

Association International (NANDAI), and nursing Experience reports

care based on three levels of prevention that are
important in view of Neuman, was presented. The
diagnoses were:
1. Disruption of the concept of ‘‘self’’ associated
with the disease, decreased muscle strength,
power and weakness,
2. Not tolerating any activity associated with
weakness, fatigue and irritability,
3. Stress and anxiety associated with being away
from children and family, disease and aggres-
sion of the spouse,
4. Eating disorder, eating less than what the body
needs, anorexia and nausea,
5. Risk of trauma and falls in association with
visual and movement disorders, weakness,
and dizziness,
6. Disturbance in bowel habits associated with
illness, weakness, and disability,
7. Changes in sexual pattern associated with fati-
gue and depression,
8. Disorders in sleep pattern associated with an
urge for urination, headache, and flushing,
9. Disorder in reading and writing associated with
visual disturbances and vertigo,
10. Impaired skin integrity in association with
drugs and associated complications,
11. Urinary dysfunction associated with the dis-
ease and bladder nerve damage,
12. Avoiding loneliness associated with being
away from children and family.
Evaluation of patients/clients to classify types of
stress is posed by Neuman.
Intrapersonal stressors
Intrapersonal stressors include the following needs:
physiological, developmental, psychological, socio-
cultural, and spiritual.
.
Physiological
Neurological: dysfunctions of this system include
severe headache and vertigo that worsens in light,
weakness and walking disorders due to muscle
weakness, blurred vision and double vision, seizures,
heaviness in the head, and sometimes inability in
gripping objects with hands and as a result, dropping
the object, minor burning and tingling sensation in
hands and feet, which worsens during an attack.
Gastrointestinal: dysfunctions of this system
include loss of appetite, early satiety, weight loss
in recent months, and impairment of bowel move-
ments in the form of constipation, and occasional
nausea and vomiting.
Respiratory: the respiratory rate was normal and
lung auscultation was clear.
Genitourinary: difficulty in urination, dripping
urination.
Dermatological: dry and red skin with spots on
the face, and sometimes severe scalp irritation,
especially during anxiety and under psychological
pressure.

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Multiple Sclerosis Journal—Experimental, Translational and Clinical

Table 2. Nursing process adapted according to the Neuman theory for the multiple sclerosis (MS) patient/client.
Type of patient/ Nursing diagnoses Aim Level of Interventions
client variable prevention

Physiological Not tolerating any activity Helping the patient/client
associated with weak-
ness, fatigue, and
irritability
Physiological Eating disorder, eating less Improving the quality of
than what the body
needs, anorexia and
nausea
Physiological Risk of trauma and falls in Avoiding trauma, injury,
association with visual
and movement dis-
orders, weakness and
dizziness
Secondary Avoiding exposure to environ-
carry out activities ments with high temperatures,
without depending on taking hot showers, eating
others heavy foods, too many activ-
ities, hunger and stress, which
exacerbate fatigue.
Exercise and sports, such as
swimming and simple ges-
tures, as much as tolerated
Reduction in ambient noise
Avoiding too much work, resting
between work periods, and
getting adequate sleep
Compliance with energy saving
techniques, such as sitting
while showering, and brush-
ing teeth
Cold shower, sucking ice, using
ice packs or wet towel, when
feeling hot
Secondary Avoidance of irritant materials
the patient/client’s and odors
appetite, nutrition, and Resting before each meal to
proper diet minimize weakness
Eating in a quiet and clean
environment and devoting
enough time to it
Eating frequent meals in small
amounts
Gentle position-changing to
avoid nausea
Avoiding fatty foods, like butter,
sauces, and nuts
Avoiding fluid intake during
food intake to prevent early
satiety
Avoiding foods that contain
caffeine, such as tea, coffee,
and spicy food.
Primary Availability of necessary sup-
and controlling the situ- plies, and avoiding disorgan-
ation during weakness ization and chaos
and dizziness Using appropriate shoes and
slippers
Sufficient ambient light
Keeping calm and avoiding rush
during work
Avoiding abrupt changes in a
situation to avoid dizziness
Sitting during dizziness
(continued)

4 www.sagepub.com/msjetc
 Ahmadi and Sadeghi

Table 2. Continued

Type of patient/ Nursing diagnoses Aim Level of Interventions

client variable prevention
Physiological Disturbance in bowel Improving the patient/cli- Secondary Assigning regular hours for
habits associated with ent’s defecation pattern defecation, preferably an hour
illness, weakness, and after meal
disability Encouraging to eat high-fiber
foods such as bran, bread,
fruits, and fresh herbs
Increasing fluid intake during
the day
Activity, as much as possible
Physiological Disorders in sleep pattern, Improving the status and Secondary Reducing fluid intake in the
associated with an urge quality of sleep and rest evening to avoid waking up at
for urination, headache, night
and flushing Refraining from beverages con-
taining caffeine
Creating a quiet and peaceful
environment
Using cooling devices
Using proper cover
Physiological Disorder in reading and Encouraging the patient/ Secondary Protecting eyes from sunlight
writing associated with client to use the and Emphasizing and encouraging
visual disturbances, and remaining abilities and tertiary the patient/client to regularly
vertigo prevent the progression have a visual check-up
of weakness and Resting the eyes and preventing
faintness eye fatigue
Avoiding exposure to severe
light
Physiological Impaired skin integrity in Maintaining tissue Secondary Avoiding exposure to severe
association with drugs, integrity and sunlight
and associated tertiary Encouraging the use of protect-
complications ive clothing, such as hats, and
gloves
Recommending the use of
gloves when working with
detergent
Recommending brushing hair
gently and not using rough
combs
Avoiding the use of chemical
hair colors
Cold showers to stop itching
Physiological Urinary dysfunction, asso- Improving the patient/cli- Secondary Avoiding beverages containing
ciated with the disease ent’s defecation pattern and caffeine
and bladder nerve tertiary Not limiting fluid intake due to
damage damage to the kidneys
Reducing fluid intake after
sunset
Pouring hot water on the peri-
neal area to stimulate urin-
ation
(continued)

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Multiple Sclerosis Journal—Experimental, Translational and Clinical
Table 2. Continued
Type of patient/ Nursing diagnoses
client variable
Psychological Disruption of the concept
of ‘self’ associated with
the disease, decreased
muscle strength, power,
and weakness
Psychological Stress and anxiety asso-
ciated with being away
from children and
family, disease, and
aggression of the spouse
Psychological Changes in sexual pattern
associated with fatigue,
and depression
psychological Avoiding loneliness, asso-
ciated with being away
from children and
family
Some variables including socio-cultural, psychological, and physiological variables may interact, and therefore are not repeated in the table
under the related variable.
6 www.sagepub.com/msjetc
Aim
1. Encouraging the
patient/client to talk
about beliefs and par-
ameters, such as the
concept of ‘‘self",
power and self-efficacy.
2. Helping the patient/
client find incentives to
continue with life and
activities despite limita-
tions of power and
energy.
Helping the patient/client
control and reduce her
stress and anxiety
Helping the patient/client
have a proper and satis-
factory relationship, as
much as possible
Promoting patient/client’s
support and getting rid
of loneliness
Level of Interventions
prevention
Encouraging to consume at least
eight glasses of fluids during
the day and reduce it before
sunset
Encouraging good hygiene to
prevent urinary tract
infections
Secondary Allowing the patient/client to
and express feelings, moods, and
tertiary behavior
Encouraging her to talk to other
patient/clients with MS and
participate in meetings con-
ducted by the Centre for
Special Diseases (MS)
Meeting children
Encouraging physical activity as
much as muscle strength
allowed
Secondary Learning relaxation techniques
and distraction of negative
ideas
Personal contact and phone calls
to children and family
Encouraging patient/clients to
attend MS sports classes
Secondary Family counseling
and Encouraging clients to consider
tertiary the sexual needs of her spouse
to reduce stress
Rest between activities to avoid
boredom
Talking to the spouse about
emotional support to patient/
clients
Secondary Encouraging phone calls with
children during their absence
Encouraging the patient/client to
continue participating in
Qur’anic, sports, and art
classes
Encouraging the patient/client to
interact and communicate
with neighbors to get rid of
loneliness

Musculoskeletal: weakness in arms and legs, radiat-
ing pain in the shoulder and chest, imbalance and
dizziness during attacks.
Hearing: stuffiness in the ear.
Sight: blurred vision, double vision, fluttering
objects in the visual field, reduced visual field,
inability to see beyond a distance of about 7—8 m.
Psychological. The patient/client cannot express any
feelings about the disease, but is depressed and anx-
ious, looks tired and bored. In the case study, irrit-
ability and mental pressure by the patient/client’s
husband were considered as intrapersonal factors
that caused stress. Following stress and family dis-
sociation, she was constantly agitated and anxious.
She needed intense mental family support.
Socio-cultural. The patient/client participates in art-
istic activities and believes that she will be mentally
calm. But the patient/client cannot participate in
sports classes, held by the MS center, due to prob-
lems of transportation and distance.
Developmental. She has been successfully engaged
in meeting developmental needs appropriate to a
middle-aged adult, for example: preparing for
menopause.
Spiritual. Considers herself a religious person. She
believes in God and prays. She participates in reli-
gious ceremony.
Interpersonal stressors
These include (a) being away from family due to long
distance; (b) being away from children due to remote
education place; and (c) extra-personal stressors.
Results
The nursing results were used for the classification
of nursing interventions and the classification of nur-
sing outcomes respectively (Table 2).
Discussion
MS is a chronic disorder with no definite cure. So,
the goal of treatment is to control the signs and
symptoms, prevent further progress, and ensure
better compliance from the patient/client.
1. Communication with nurses, spouse, and
family, and getting the opportunity to express
her feelings about her situation somewhat
reduced the patient/client’s concerns, which
stemmed from her desire to get attention.
She stated that the hope for a bright future
for her children was the incentive for the rest
of her life.
www.sagepub.com/msjetc
Ahmadi and Sadeghi
2. The patient/client mentioned techniques that
she was taught to maintain her energy levels.
She became aware of the importance of resting
between activities to avoid boredom and stated
that she would try to consider resting in
between work.
3. When the patient/client became aware of the
impact of stress on the progress of her disease,
she was determined to reduce the amount of
stress in her life. Her family was also consulted
and asked to put family tensions aside to help
her.
4. The patient/client named several types of foods
that she should avoid, like fatty and spicy food,
and decided to avoid situations that decreased
her appetite, and thus, improved her nutritional
status.
5. The patient/client’s awareness of the measures
to avoid trauma caused her to avoid walking
during vertigo attacks and sit down until she
felt better.
6. The patient/client named several foods con-
taining fiber that helped improve the defeca-
tion pattern. She stated that she used soaked
figs to improve her situation.
7. With regard to training to prevent fatigue, the
patient/client could do it over time, and also
understood that this could be a reason for her
spouse’s aggression. So, she decided to pay
more attention to the needs of her husband.
8. The patient/client uses proper coverage and
cooling equipment during sleep. Regarding
consumption of tea before bedtime, she
decided to cut the use of caffeine.
9. The patient/client used to go for visual exam-
ination, but the visit intervals were long.
Considering the importance of this issue, she
decided to shorten the intervals of visit and
used protective clothing for her eyes, such as
sunglasses, when she went out into the sun.
10. She stated that she could not use gloves while
using detergents. She decided to bathe in warm
water instead of cold water.
11. The patient/client stated that she followed all
the necessary hygienic measures to prevent
urinary tract infections. She also decided to
limit the consumption of beverages containing
caffeine.
12. According to the patient/client’s statement, she
had the enthusiasm and interest to continue
participating in training classes, and she felt
lonely if she did not do so.
Conflicts of interest
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of inter-
est with respect to the research, authorship, and/or
publication of this article.
7
Multiple Sclerosis Journal—Experimental, Translational and Clinical
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the
research, authorship, and/or publication of this
article.
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